City Prepares for Emergency as War Begins

By Jorge Casuso

March 19 -- Be prepared, but go about business as usual. That was the advice from City officials as U.S. forces attacked Iraq Wednesday evening and America prepared for possible terrorist attacks.

While the city's Emergency Operations Center has not been activated and all City offices are "operating as usual," City officials said they are at the ready "should intelligence indicate activation is warranted."

"Due to world developments, law enforcement and emergency responders in cities across the nation are on heightened alert," the City Manager wrote in a memo sent to City employees.

"In Santa Monica, our Police and Fire Departments are at the ready, including being prepared to activate the Emergency Operations Center and call in EOC staff from all departments should intelligence indicate activation is warranted," the memo said.

So far, there is no reason to believe the Santa Monica faces any imminent danger.

"To date, we have not been informed by any federal, state, or county agency that a threat has been made against this City," Police Chief James T. Butts, Jr. wrote in his "Homeland Security Update" posted on the police department Web site.

But given the heightened alert nationwide, City officials are urging City staff, as well as Santa Monica's residents, to be prepared, as they should be for any emergency.

"We don't want to alarm people, we want people to go along with business as usual," said Lt. Frank Fabrega, the police department spokesman. But he added, "This is a perfect opportunity to have a 72-hour emergency preparedness plan. It's always good to have that."

The memo from the city manager's office urges employees "to make sure you are prepared at home for 3 days (food, water, cash, gas in the car) as for any potential emergency."

Parents with young children should make sure that their schools have "an emergency plan for sheltering children until they can be reunited with their families," according to the memo.

Workers also are urged to "have a plan for connecting with family members and ensuring their safety before reporting to work, and that you have what you need at work if required to be here for very long shifts (e.g., change of clothes, comfortable shoes, toothbrush, medication)."

The City's police and fire departments have posted preparedness information on their Web sites:
http://santamonicafire.org/disaster/index.htm and http://www.santamonicapd.org/